I guess we need to thrash out this floormat pebble/smooth edge debate.
>Confirm the pebble edge version was available 58/9.
>Was the pebble edge version available in 56/7?
>Were 56/7 floormats only available in black?

Some pictures:

Beige [brown/BN] original floormat set that I have
Smooth edge. Make is Phoenix. Believed to be from a 58/9 Coupe.

I would like to summarize the basic information regarding Low Light Karmann Ghia Mats. I know that for many of you this won't be nothing new, I hope it will help some of you. Please correct me if necessary, I’m aware that I may not be 100% correct!

KARMANN GHIA VWs were made from 1955 to 1974. The early cars are called LOW LIGHT KGs because regulations forced VW to increase the height from the floor to the edge of the headlights a couple of centimeters (about an inch). This change was implemented for the Karmann Ghia Model 1960, that started production in August 1959 from chassis number 2 528 668.

During the first 4-year Low Light period, there were A LOT of changes for many components, may be more that all the changes after the model 60 until 1974! Some changes lasted days or weeks before there was a new change! This was because a lot of hand assembly took place and VW had different sources for many parts.

Regarding the Low Light floor mats and front and floor carpets, we can say that there were two main eras: The first one used carpet with rubber inserts for the front bulkhead section and sills areas and rubber floor mats. The second era used all rubber mats, including the floor mats, the sill mats, the tunnel mat and the front bulkhead mat. The different years Owner's Books show this changes with good detail in the first picture for those years:

August 55

July 56

January 57

January 58

April 59

Color mats were available for the different car color options. An important note is that ALL the mats were black in the rear side and colored in the top side, as there were made with two rubber layers. We know now that there were cars with the 4 floor mats in Black and the rest in color and cars with all mats in color. For those years, the available colors were: Green, Brown, Gray and Black.

We can confirm at list two brands that manufactured the rubber mats: Phoenix and Fisco.

From original samples we know that there were different styles, basically mats with strips on a flat background and mats with strips surrounded by a border and the characteristic VW pebble pattern in the edges. In the case of the front bulkhead mat, strips sections were always surrounded by a border and the characteristic VW pebble pattern.

The shapes and size for Low Light mats are very close to each other and any of them can FIT any Low Light car, as the holding points were in the same location. Early Ghias have the heather vents closer to the front instead of close to the doors. I tough that the single piece bulkhead mas was never made for those early cars, until few days ago, when I saw this pictures from Andy914-6:

That means that one of the manufactures (or a person?) made the one piece bulkhead available for early Low Lights, as the vent close to the door was introduced before the one piece bulkhead!

It is important to notice that after August of 1959, the passenger mat was completely different, because the model 60 added a foot rest panel that was covered by the mat. The new part number for the Foot Support was 141 863 691, from chassis No. 2 528 668, when Model 60 cars started. Check this picture from the August 59 model 60 owners book:

August 1959

Therefore, we can conclude that the floor mats for Low Light Karmann Ghias with and without the pebble patter are CORRECT ONLY for Low Lights, not for 60 or later model cars. I will think that they can also be used in 60 and latter models taking the Foot Support out, as it is a removable part. If anyone has done that, please share with the forum!

In my personal opinion, Phoenix started making mats without a border and without the pebble pattern and then upgraded the design to match the one-piece all-rubber front bulkhead mats, making this combination more pleasant and better able to contain liquid spills, as the open strip mats did not help on that.

I understand that there is a difference, and I also think that both styles are correct. Having one or the other does not take away any originality value. As a matter of fact, having a set of matching color mats with the original looks will increase the value of any Karmann Ghia!

As it stands now, my plan is to reproduce the pebble style mats, as those are the samples I have to create the molds!